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TACK2 News

Relive Wrestling's Glory Days At Fanfest
Remember the good old days of Mid-Atlantic wrestling ... when Jim Crockett Promotions ruled the roost, the Carolinas was the hotbed of professional wrestling and Charlotte was the pulse of the territory?

Q&A With Matthew Randazzo
Matthew Randazzo, author of "Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit & The Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry," answers some questions about his controversial new book on professional wrestling.

'Ring Of Hell' Tells Disturbing Story
The latest pro wrestling book to hit the shelves, "Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit & The Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry," is one sure to ruffle some feathers.

Cena Shows Softer Side Of Wrestling
It seems that all too often, in the wild and woolly world of professional wrestling, the more scurrilous, lurid items get the big headlines.

Ross Draft Move Steals Show
For weeks we've been talking about how WWE needed a spark. It got one - literally - Monday night on Raw.

Return Of The Ultimate Warrior
Pro wrestling star-turned-conservative speaker and commentator Jim Hellwig, better known in mat circles as The Ultimate Warrior, will return to the ring this week in Spain after a 10-year absence.

Hogans Never Learn From Their Mistakes
Karma can be a strange thing. If you believe in such concepts, that "what goes around comes around," you need look no further than Hulk Hogan.

A New Look At The Hogans
The Hogan family has always clamored for publicity, with a willing and naive public eager to follow every word, every stunt, every gimmick coming out of the pro wrestling superstar's camp.

Hogan Family Saga Not A Pretty Sight
It's a good thing Hulk Hogan's reality show is no longer on the air. They'd most likely have to change the title from "Hogan Knows Best" to something along the lines of "Hogan Doesn't Have A Clue."

Memories Of Mat Legends Live On
Unless you're a longtime Lowcountry resident, chances are you might not be familiar with a building on upper King Street, a culturally significant structure once known as County Hall.

Pretty Penny Leaves Beautiful Legacy
The records may list her chronological age as 73, but to those who knew Penny Banner, she was ageless, timeless and forever young.

Ashley Denies Call Girl Allegations
A popular WWE diva was the topic of considerable conversation this past week after a Rolling Stone Magazine article linked Ashley Massaro to a Los Angeles-based escort service being investigated by the FBI.

Regal Stunt Could Alienate Viewers
A number of wrestling fans were left scratching their collective heads when Raw abruptly went off the air last Monday night.

Smackdown Writer Hayes Suspended
Smackdown head creative writer Michael Hayes has been suspended for 60 days for using a racial slur with a co-worker at a recent gathering.

Adamle Can't Fill Styles' Shoes
No doubt many WWE fans thought it was a late April Fool's joke when they tuned in Tuesday night for their weekly fix of ECW action on the SciFi Channel.

Retirement 'Fuels' Song Surge
It's only been a couple of weeks since his retirement, but Ric Flair's fantastic farewell continues to have far-reaching effects.

Flair Farewell One For The Ages
The demarcations of some historical eras are not as well defined as others.

HBK Bids Farewell To An Old Friend
Tonight's the night. Of course, it's Wrestlemania 24, but even more important is a match that could mark the finish of perhaps the most illustrious career of any performer in the history of the business.

Blackjack, Naitch And More Memories
There aren't many wrestlers still around who remember Ric Flair before he became the "Nature Boy."

Curtis Was One Of Wrestling's Good Guys
A life well lived. That's how most fans, friends and colleagues remembered Don Curtis, who passed away March 6 at the age of 80.

Triple H, Taker To Shine At Mania
The world title matches for Wrestlemania 24 are etched in stone. The results, barring a swerve from Vince McMahon, also appear to be fairly predictable.

'Greatest Of All Time' Calling It A Day
There's not much to say about Ric Flair that hasn't already been said. The Nature Boy. The dirtiest player in the game. The Man. The greatest of all time.

Memories Of Johnny Weaver And Saturday Afternoons
Whenever I think about Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions, my mind invariably takes me back to the days when County Hall was the place to be on Friday nights and the black-and-white Saturday afternoon wrestling show emanated from a small TV studio in Raleigh.

Austin: Flair Not Getting Proper Sendoff
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who pitched a Rocky-like storyline for Ric Flair's final year with WWE, said last week that he hasn't been pleased with the angle thus far.

Carolinas Legend Johnny Weaver Dies
Johnny Weaver, one of the most popular professional wrestlers to ever appear in the Carolinas, died of natural causes Friday at his home in Charlotte at the age of 72.

Major Changes In WWE
It's been a week of major changes in WWE.

Lashley Leaving While Cena Returns
WWE received a major boost with the sooner-than-expected return of John Cena.

Jeff Hardy Gets Chance To Fulfill Dream
Jeff Hardy has won a slew of titles over the course of his career. One major crown, though, has eluded him.

Big Show Returning To WWE
A year after retiring from the business due to lingering injuries and mental fatigue, Paul "Big Show" Wight is returning to World Wrestling Entertainment.

Controversy Surrounds Randy Orton
Controversy has surrounded Randy Orton ever since he made his WWE debut six years ago.

Greensboro's Love Affair With Flair
They say time flies when you're having fun. And nobody's had more fun over the past 35 years than "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.

Benoit Tragedy Mars Year
The pro wrestling industry will not soon forget 2007.

Luger Puts Famous Face On Addiction
America's addiction to performance enhancement is one of the big stories coming out of 2007. And nowhere is that reflection greater than in professional sports.

Jury Still Out On Jericho
The jury is still out on the return of Chris Jericho, but tonight's Armageddon pay-per-view could play a big role in determining exactly where his push leads.

Decision To Pull Flair Riles Fans
The formula was to have been fairly simple for last week's Monday Night Raw at the North Charleston Coliseum.

Mr. Kennedy Endures Pitfalls
For a guy who's destined for stardom, Ken Kennedy has had more than his share of ups and downs.

Book chronicles Batista's highs and lows
Batista is enjoying the view from his enviable position atop the wrestling world.

Moolah Enjoyed Fabulous Career
For as long as I can remember, Mary Lillian Ellison has been "one of us."

Dreams Come True In Jericho's 'Lion's Tale'
Chris Jericho wasn't sure if he would ever wrestle again after abruptly leaving the business two years ago to pursue other interests.

Couple Turns Down WWE Offer
Many aspiring young wrestlers would sell their souls for a shot at the big time.

WWE Needs To Regroup
While it may be a little too early to sound the alarm, World Wrestling Entertainment has to be concerned with a downward trend in business over the past few months.

Angle In Trouble With Law
One week before a major pay-per-view at the Gwinnett Center in Atlanta, TNA is dealing with reports that Kurt Angle was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.

'Thin Thirty' Details Scandals, Barnett
Southeastern Conference football, exploitation of players, game fixing and a gay sex scandal involving a legendary pro wrestling promoter and a Hollywood film icon. How's that for a tease?

WWE Steps Up To Plate
WWE took a big step recently when the company announced it would pay for drug rehab for any wrestler under WWE contract or any who had ever been under contract who needed the help.

Code May Leave Mero Standing Alone
Marc Mero finds himself at the forefront of a controversy that could change the landscape of the wrestling business.

The Life And Times Of Don Arnold
Don Arnold spent more than three decades in the wrestling business. But, unlike many of his peers, wrestling was just a small part of who Don Arnold really was.

Happy Birthday, Dad!
I'd like to preface this column by stating up front that today's subject doesn't have a lot to do with professional wrestling.

WWE Hands Out Suspensions
The thinning ranks of World Wrestling Entertainment grew considerably thinner with the announcement late last week of nearly a dozen major suspensions due to violations of the beleaguered company's wellness policy.

Wrestling Industry At Crossroads
Po wrestling, and more specifically WWE, is at a crossroads.

Deaths Traced To 'Wrestling Cocktails'
The news Monday that yet another professional wrestler had died at a relatively young age made headlines across the country.

'Missing Link' Robertson Dead At 68
Dewey Robertson, better known in pro wrestling circles as The Missing Link, passed away Thursday at the age of 68.

Brian 'Crush' Adams Found Dead
Former pro wrestling star Brian Adams, who was best known for his early '90s run as the character Crush, was found dead Monday at his home in Tampa at the age of 44.

Mero's Mission: Change Industry
Marc Mero is a man on a mission. He is at the forefront of a campaign to clean up the wrestling industry.

'God Of Wrestling' Gotch Dead
In the hallowed halls of wrestling history, Karl Gotch has a special place at the front of the line. None were ever tougher, none likely ever will be.

Pacman Jones Signs With TNA
Adam "Pacman" Jones may be suspended from the NFL, but he's apparently found an organization that wants him.

Promoter: Conduct 'Unprofessional'
A pro wrestler's main responsibility during the course of a match is to protect the body of his "rival." That, according to North Carolina-based promoter Thomas Simpson, didn't happen in a recent match involving one of his charges.

Congress Seeks WWE Records
The leaders of the congressional panel that conducted steroid hearings into Major League Baseball have asked World Wrestling Entertainment to provide records pertaining to its testing policies and practices.

Benoit Was Teacher, Friend To Punk
It could have been the highlight of his career. But the match never happened.

Macho Man Spinoff Big Hit
"Oooooh yeeeah!" Can you dig it? asks the raspy voice on the other line. Close your eyes for a few moments, and you'd swear you were listening to "Macho Man" Randy Savage deliver some of his trademark phrases.

John Kronus Found Dead
Professional wrestler John Kronus, formerly one half of the ECW world tag-team champs known as The Eliminators, was found dead Wednesday.

Benoit Had Elevated Levels
Pro wrestling star Chris Benoit had elevated levels of testosterone in his system when he apparently strangled his wife, suffocated their 7-year-old son and hanged himself last month in their suburban Atlanta home, according to toxicology reports released Tuesday.

'Good, Old-Fashioned Show' On Tap
United Wrestling Federation founder and promoter Hermie Sadler is looking forward to providing a respite for local wrestling fans when he brings his outfit into town Thursday night with a "good, old-fashioned wrestling show."

Future Looks Good For Dumas
She's been a four-time world wrestling champion, written her own book, and has enjoyed success and popularity throughout the world.But Amy Dumas feels her best days are in front of her.

Benoit's Steroid Purchases Excessive
Chris Benoit's personal physician, who is facing federal charges for improperly doling out painkillers and other drugs to patients, prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to the late pro wrestling star every three to four weeks during a period from May 2006 to May 2007, according to court papers.

Hart: Benoit Followed Tragic Path
Bruce Hart, who helped Chris Benoit break into the business more than 20 years ago at the fabled Dungeon training facility in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, said this weekend that there was another side to the wrestler who authorities say killed his wife and son before taking his own life.

Finish Goes Against Script In Tragedy
No one may ever know exactly what transpired last weekend when Chris Benoit took the lives of his wife, his 7-year-old son and even his own.

Motives Sought In Benoit Tragedy
Investigators continued to look for clues and possible motives Wednesday in the grisly double murder-homicide involving WWE superstar Chris Benoit.

Chris Benoit, Family Found Dead
Professional wrestling superstar Chris Benoit was found dead along with his family Monday afternoon at his Atlanta home.

'Bizarre' Details In Benoit Death
Professional wrestling star Chris Benoit strangled his wife with an electrical cord, smothered his 7-year-old son with a bag and placed Bibles next to their bodies before hanging himself in the weight room of their Georgia home, authorities said Tuesday.

Screwjob Defines Hebner's Career
Earl Hebner will never forget Montreal.

Wild Life Of 'Russian Bear'
Ivan Koloff will go down in wrestling history as one of the profession's most hated and feared heels.

Sensational Sherri Passes Away
Sherri Russell, better known to a generation of pro wrestling fans as "Sensational Sherri" Martel, died Friday at the age of 49.

WWE Blows Off Mr. McMahon
Dead or alive? That's the burning question on the minds of thousands of World Wrestling Entertainment fans in the wake of one of the company's most explosive angles in recent history.

Koloff Injured In Wreck
Ivan Koloff is recovering from injuries suffered in a recent traffic accident near Charlotte.

'Evil Russian' Koloff Softens
Ivan Koloff has come a long way during his 45 years in the wrestling business.

Michaels' Injury Blow To WWE
Who's going to take the place of Shawn Michaels?

WWE Beset By Injuries
A rash of recent injuries to top stars has put major kinks in the plans of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Brody Still Making Impact
Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death on July 16, 1988, in the locker room of Juan Lobriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. His influence, though, is still felt in the wrestling industry two decades later.

Lunch Of A Lifetime For Flair Fan
Randy Friedberg is still beaming about what he calls the best two hours of his life.

Orton Gets Off Easy
Randy Orton may have dodged another bullet.

Deep South Closes Doors
Deep South Wrestling has officially closed its doors.

Zhukov's Son 'Can Only Get Better'
Wayne Harrell continues to recover, slowly but surely, from a car accident in December that claimed the life of his girlfriend and left him with serious injuries.

Zhukov's Son A Walking Miracle
There was always a helping hand when Boris Zhukov was in the wrestling business.

Wrestling Mourns Awesome Loss
Mike Awesome had, what they call in the business, "the look."